Okinawa's traditional distilled spirit, awamori, takes on a seasonal character during cherry blossom season at several historic Naha distilleries, where limited-edition sakura-infused blends are produced each winter. This guided distillery tour, offered by one of Naha's established awamori producers near the Tsuboya pottery district, includes a behind-the-scenes look at the black-koji fermentation process and ageing rooms stocked with traditional clay pots called kame. The two-hour tasting session covers five expressions including a seasonal kanhizakura-infused awamori, paired with small Ryukyuan dishes such as rafute pork belly and jimami tofu. Guides speak English, and bottles of the seasonal release can be purchased to take home.
- Type
- Our service
- Category
- Cherry Blossom
- Season
- Winter
- Month
- Late January to Early February
- Region
- Okinawa
- Prefecture
- Okinawa
- City
- Naha
Highlights
- ◆Limited-edition kanhizakura-infused awamori tasting
- ◆Behind-the-scenes distillery tour with black-koji fermentation
- ◆Traditional clay kame ageing pots on display
- ◆Paired with Ryukyuan dishes including rafute and jimami tofu
- ◆Seasonal bottles available for purchase; English-speaking guides